Combined rail chair and joint lock.



' No. 663,88. Patented Dec. 4, I900. '5'. T. THOMPSON & A. .1. LEGHLER.

COMBINED BAIL CHAIR AND JOINT LOCK.

(Application mm 22.1900.)

WITNESSES: V INVENTOHJ: A. w, %J% MAJ m BY mm];

llllllllll ATTORNEY UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE T. THOMPSON AND ANTHONY LEOHLER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED RAIL CHAIR AND JOINT LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,138, dated December4, 1900. Application filed May 22, 1900. Serial No. 17,605. (No model.)

combined rail chair and joint lock whereby not only shall the meetingends of rail-sections be effectively supported and retained in position,but the same shall be securely fastened together without the use offish-plates and their complementary bolts and nuts.

To this end the invention, as generally stated, comprises a base-platehaving thereon two jaws, one of which is fixed and the other movablerelatively thereto, the inner faces of the jaws being constructed andarranged to register with the opposing sides of two adjoiningrail-sections interposed therebetween, and means being provided forforcing and locking the movable jaw against the rails, whereby thelatter are supported and fixedly clamped in place.

The invention also comprises various features of construction andcertain combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter particularlydescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of the device as in use. Fig. 2 is asectional perspective view thereof. Fig. 3 is a side view of the same.Fig. 4: is a vertical section on the line w of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section on the line y y of Fig. 3. Fig. 6'is a similarsection on the line 2 z of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a perspective viewof thebase and fixed jaw of the device. Fig. 8 is a similar view of themovable jaw. Fig. 9 is alike view of the drift or implement for use inremoving the key or wedge which looks the movable jaw.

A represents a cross-tie, B our improved chair and joint lock thereon,and O C the meeting ends of two rail-sections supported upon and unitedby said chair and lock. This chair and lock includes in its preferredconstruction a broad base-plate 1, having formed on .or affiXed'to itsupper side an upwardlyextending jaw 2, the inner face of which isappropriately shaped to register with the sides of the two rail=sectionssupported upon the plate. This plate is adapted to be bolted or spikedto the cross-tie, suit-able apertures 3 being formed in the body of theplate for the passage of the bolts or spikes 4. One of the apertures ispreferably formed in the rail supporting portion of the plate, so thatthe bolt or spike therein will be covered by the rail, and thus allliability of accidental removal or displacement of the bolt or spike beobviated. The top of the plate is depressed inwardly beyond therail-supporting portion thereof, and a clamping-jaw 6 is mountedthereon, so as to be movable toward and from the opposing sides of thetwo rail-sections. The inner or acting face of the jaw 6 isappropriately shaped to conform to the sides of such sections, andprovision is had wherebythis jaw may be forced and locked against therails in a manner to clamp them securely upon the base-plate and betweenthe two jaws. The movable jaw is provided along its inner edge, at ornear the base thereof, with a beveled tongue 7, which when the jaw isclamped against the rail is interlocked with a correspondingly-shapedgroove 8, formed in the plate 1, immediately below the rail-supportingportion thereof. This jaw has formed on its under side a dependingportion 9, which enters a suitable socket or opening 10 in thebase-plate. Along the edge of this block, immediately belowand parallelwith the tongue 7 ,is a rib 11, which registers with an offset 12 in thebase-plate. The opposite edge of the block is provided with alongitudinal groove 13, which when the jaw is applied to the base-plateis in line with a transverse opening or keyway 14 in the latter. Awedge-shaped key 15 is adapted to be driven into the keyway and throughthe groove 13 in the block, thereby forcing the movable jaw hard againstthe opposing faces of the rail-sections and perforce clamping saidsections together and upon the base-plate, the opposing beveled surfacesof the tongue 7 and its groove, in conjunction with the coactingportions of the movable jaw and rail-base, tending to effect andmaintain an effectual interlocking of the parts. The key is driven intothe keyway in the base-plate, so that the larger end of the key will beflush with the edge of the latter, or nearly so, and thereby obviate anyliability of accidental removal or displacement of the key. As a simpleand efficient means whereby the key may be readily removed, if desired,we provide the implementordrift illustrated in Fig. 9, the samecomprising a head 16, with an upwardly-extending-handle 17. Theflattened portion a of the head is adapted to be applied to the smallerend of the key, and the outer end b of the head thus applied to bestruck by a hammer, the result being the driving out'of the key.

The opposing faces of the respective jaws are preferably provided withstuds 18, which enter suitably-disposed apertures 19 in the webs of therails, such apertures being elongated to permit the requisitelongitudinal expansion and contraction of the rails.

By the construction above described it will be seen that a simple,durable, and efiective support and lock for the meeting ends ofrailsections is provided and that the manipulation of bolts and n uts inthe operation of looking and unlocking the rails is entirely dispensedwith. It will also be seen that in the event of the breaking of a railthe device may be readily applied thereto, so as to effectually supportand unite the broken parts, the studs 18 in that case being removed fromthe jaws of the structure; further, that the invention may be appliedwith great advantage to the rails on curves and embankments.

We claim 1. In arail chair and joint lock, the combination with thebase-plate provided with a rail-supporting portion, a locking-grooveextending from the edge of said rail-supporting portion, and astationary clamping-jaw thereon embracing one side of the rail oppositethe locking-groove, of the oppositely-arranged movable clamping-jawmounted on the baseplate, and provided with alocking-tongue to engagethe locking-groove beneath the railsupporting portion of the base-plate,and means to maintain the said parts in locked relation to each otherand to the interposed rail.

2. In a rail chair and joint lock, the combination with w the base-platehaving a portion adapted for supporting contact with the rail,-

its locking-groove beneath the rail-supporting portion, the socket andstationary clamp-, ing-jaw, of the oppositely-arranged clampingjavvmovable in the socket in the base-plate, its locking-tongue, means tomaintain said rail, studs on the opposing jaws adapted to entersuitably-disposed slots in the webs of the rail and means to lock themtherein.

3. Ina rail chair and joint lock, the combiadapted for supportingcontact with the rail, its locking-groove beneath the rail-supportingportion, the socket and stationary clamping-jaw, of. anoppositely-arranged movable adapted to enter the socket in thebase-plate, a beveled tongue on the movable jaw adapted'to register withthe said locking-groove in the base-plate, and means to maintain saidrail.

4. In a rail chair and joint lock, the combination with the base-plateand the stationary jaw thereon, the said plate being provided groove andoffset adjacent to the rail-supporting portion of the plate, of themovable jaw provided with the beveled tongue adaptedto enter the saidgroove, a depending portion one edge of and beneath the rail-supportingportion, a movable ja said base-plate being extended beyond thelocking-groove to provide a support for a movable jaw and means tomaintain tion. t

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures this 11thday of May,

GEORGE T. THOMPSON. ANTHONY J. LEOHLER.

Witnesses:

E. V. M. BRANNAN,

H. T. FENTON.

parts in locked relation against an interposed 6o nation with thebase-plate having a portion clamping-jaw provided with a depending endparts in locked relation against an interposed with an aperture andkeyway, and with a on said movable jaw fitted to said aperture thegroove last named, 9o

therefrom, a locking-groove extending from 5 said parts in locked rela-10o

